Cosplay
by k-shee
Summary: In which a boy is dressed in drag to cosplay the Hero of Time, his sister the Princess is a fangirl and the Sheik cosplayer he bumps into is uncommonly acrobatic. Link/Sheik. AU.
1. Cosplay

_It's been a while, hehehe. I wrote this on a whim. Feel free to bash. It's pretty silly. _

_This is based on the real world, so I had to give the characters 'real' names. Don't worry, you'll easily know who is who. I'm lame like that._

Summary: In which a boy dressed in drag to cosplay the Hero of Time, his sister the Princess is a fangirl and the Sheikah cosplayer he bumps into is uncommonly acrobatic. Link/Sheik. AU.

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><p><strong>Cosplay<strong>

o

Lance was having a bad day. A really, really bad day.

Today marked the end of exam week. It had started by seven and ended by noon, and by the time the clock struck, all he really wanted to do was to lie in his room and sleep the headache, stress and general anxiety the whole hell-filled week had cause. He could imagine his body sagging against the plush mattress of his bed, letting the tension seep out from his pores. He'd allow his mind to stop stating Geometry (_theorems, postulates, corollaries_) stop it from whispering Spanish (_verbos regulares e irregulares comprar ponerse decir conocer)_, stop it from thinking about the damn periodic table, _(Argon-eighteen four-s-two three-d-ten three-p-one_) and just basically stop, stop STOP!

Lance massaged his head as if he could massage all of those horrible, horrible thoughts away.

Anyways, he'd expected to go home and have the rest of the day off but no! His genius of a sister decided it was a good idea to haul his exhausted arse off to the mall in one of her stupid anime conventions.

Well, okay, he guessed that it wasn't _that_ stupid. There were some pretty cool things they were selling here, and the cosplayers were friendly and all…

Oh, who was he kidding? He was wearing a freaking dress! With a sigh, he recalled a conversation with his twin sister before they left home.

"It's a tunic, Lance." His sister had frowned at him like he was retarded.

"A tunic. Huh, yeah. Dude, it's a freaking dress! A dress! How the heck are you gonna expect me to walk around in this?" His tirade was cut off when white cloth was thrown at his face. "Uh, Zo, what's this?"

"Tights."

"Really, Zo? Really?" He waved the thing between them. "You expect me to wear a dress and tights and be okay with it?"

Zoe batted his hand irritably away. "Link was okay with it."

Lance ground his teeth. "Link…is a fictional character. Who can't talk. Who lives in a game—"

"I lost the game!" She suddenly shrieked. Lance groaned and bumped his head on the door jamb.

"Zoe, you are such a…I don't even know what to…"

His sister rolled her eyes. "Fine. If you don't wanna go, then might as well let the perverts _molest_ me over there. I'm gonna go. Alone. By myself. And if mom finds out that I was kidnapped while you weren't there to _protect _me, it's gonna be on your ass."

"Dude, you're sixteen! You don't need me to baby-sit you."

Zoe paused, and Lance could tell what was coming next. First, she'd bat her eyes to make them shiny. Then she'd stuck her bottom and make that…

"No. No. No, I'm not falling for that!"

She tilted her head and made another keening whine, sniffing for full effect. "But, big brother…" And she'd said his name in the most heartbreaking tone only a man of ice could deny.

"Argh. Fine!" Lance snapped, grabbing the green…dress…tunic…and marching over to the bathroom. "You so owe me for this!"

She giggled as the bathroom door shut. "No, big brother. You'll owe _me_ for this."

"What was that?" He called out from the bathroom.

"Nothing! Go change now!"

Lance sighed as he brought himself back to the present. Truth be told, he didn't really look too shabby in the green thing. Coupled with a belt and brown riding boots, and not to mention the shield and sword slung on his back, he didn't look girly at all. In fact, if he straightened his back and widened his stance, he looked damned heroic already. If only Zoe didn't make him wear those fake elf ears. And that stupid floppy green hat that came with the dress.

"Oh my gosh, you look **exactly** like Link! I'm so proud!" Zoe had tackled him in a glomp when she found him dressed and ready. He'd huffed. "Everything matches! From your build to your eyes…Even your hair is the right shade and length!" When he'd thought she'd stop spazzing, she started praising her mirror. "Oh, Zelda, aren't you a smart cookie? Yes, you are! Yes, you are! Triforce of Wisdom, baby!"

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Uh, sis, you do know you're not really Zelda, right?"

"You're right." Zoe primly responded, before taking out a tiara and setting it on her head. "Now I am!"

Lance raised an eyebrow.

She coughed daintily. "So, let's go?"

He rolled his eyes, clearly amused, and offered his arm. "Then what are we waiting for, Princess? Call me Link."

"Excuse me, but can I have a picture with you?" Lance, blinked as he shook his thoughts away and posed for a picture. People did this a lot, and it was kind of neat, but after a while, it got kind of annoying.

"Um, can I have a picture with Zelda too?"

"No prob," Lance grinned, a silver hoop earring glinting as he turned for his sister. "Zelda! We've got another customer!" His sister apologized to her best friend who funnily enough, was a Midna cosplayer, and stuck up her nose as she approached them.

"You will address me as Your Highness, Your Majesty or Milady. No more, no less." She put her hands on her hips and tried to look royally annoyed.

"Well, _excuse me, Princess_." Lance rolled his eyes and wrapped a careful arm around her gold shoulder guards. A gaggle of girls passed by and cooed at the 'ZeLinkness' of it all.

"Dude, she's my sister!" Lance protested, half-gagging. Zoe punched him in the arm.

"You're supposed to be Link. Link can't talk—so shut up."

Lance shrugged. "Feed me first. I haven't had food in a while. Princess, you're not supposed to starve your subjects." He tutted and waved a finger in front of her face.

"You're a rogue and not under my command. Go feed yourself."

"You spent the last of my money on a plushie!"

"What was that? I can't hear you. The Goddesses are telling me to tell you to stop whining." His sister smirked and he frowned and gave up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to entertain the Twilight Princess."

"You're excused!" Lance called out as she walked away. Zoe stuck her tongue out and gave him the 'loser sign'.

Now alone and uncertain with what to do, Lance resigned himself to suffering hunger for just a few more hours. There were greater things that needed his attention, namely, that fascinating rack of pirated DVDs.

Half an hour later, he was losing things to occupy his mind from crippling boredom. People still asked to take his picture now and then and he readily obliged, but it was losing its glamour. No doubt he'd find his pictures on Deviantart or somewhere around the internet. Vaguely he wondered if any of his classmates would know about his cosplaying shenanigans with Zoe. She was a big anime fan and was always trying to come up with costume designs and the like. He wasn't embarrassed by it, not really. Not when he had a sister that was awesomely talented and could whip up a whole outfit with a bolt of cloth and a few hours on the sewing machine. Which was what she'd done with his costume.

Love in every stitch, she'd called it. It was one of the reasons why he allowed himself to wear a dress of all things and parade around with it. He was practically in _drag_, ladies and gentlemen. The breeze was nice, yeah, sure, but he felt damned naked and downright weird. Lance sighed and scratched the back of his neck right under the white turtleneck. He'd conveniently left the green hat-thing off his head and tucked into his belt, mostly because not even the hottest man in the world could pull it off. He paused when he felt a distinct lack of hoop earring.

"Shoot." He began to mutter. "Shoot. Shoot. Shoot." His sister would gouge his eyes out with a spoon, drive nails in his ears, crush his toes and crack his balls before she'd forgive him. Their dad (that fat bastard of a coward) had given them to her last Christmas, and if you lost one piece then the other was practically useless. She'd never be able to wear them again.

If anything, Zoe never cried outright. She's simply bite her lip, furrow her eyebrows and dig her nails into her palm. If she felt bad enough, tears would start running down her cheeks, but that was seldom. It would be the same face she made when she was severely disappointed. Like when the tree house broke. Or when their puppy died. Like when Dad left them. He choked a little and bumped into someone. "Whoa, hey, sorry, man."

His first reaction was to reach out to steady the person, when his hand was suddenly grabbed and twisted around unnaturally. Years of training had conditioned his body to move ahead even if his mind was far behind. In a moment, he'd countered the attack and freed himself from the grip. His limbs moved by themselves, knees slightly bent, feet apart, fists ready. It was a very familiar fighting stance.

The person he'd bumped into had fallen into a similar stance, only his hands were open. The small gap in the crowd widened until people started peering in at his little freakout. Lance felt the adrenaline surge through his veins as his body prepared for combat. With a breath, he forced his heart to calm down and for his mind to clear. No biggie, he told himself. Just a knee-jerk reaction is all. No need to be embarrassed for drawing even **more** attention to yourself. It's not like the crowd actually cares, right?

A random person wolf-whistled and started clapping his hands. "Fight! Fight! Fight!" Soon enough, people started to follow the chant.

Ye Goddesses have no mercy.

Lance focused on the boy opposite him and felt his eyebrows shoot to his hairline. Isn't this a big coincidence? It was…Sheik.

Well, it was a Sheik cosplayer, but he looked exactly as Sheik had in-game. Clad in blue and wound in bandages, and he even had the same elf ears that Zoe forced Lance to wear. What startled him the most, though, was the fierce gaze in the cosplayer's eyes. It wasn't so much the red color as the intensity.

He felt the crowd's voice echoing in his ears. In some rush of excitement and bullheaded recklessness (as his sister called it), he managed to get it across the Sheik cosplayer to make it a show. The other boy glanced nervously to the sides, before nodding just slightly. Without slipping from his stance, Lance took his plastic sword and shield off and kicked it away. It'd be epic if they sparred with him with his sword and Sheik with his daggers, but he wasn't about to risk injuring anyone. That, and he'd had those things since he was eight. He wasn't about to break them in a fight.

He nodded to the other boy as more people joined the crowd. They cheered as 'Link' took the first move, charging with a fist before the boy managed to twist around and dodge the attack. Lance improvised, dropping to the ground to swing his leg and sweep the boy off his feet. Sheik was caught off guard, but he managed to use the momentum to roll away safely.

It was like a light bulb lit over the other boy's face. His serious look began to shift to a more playful one, and a heartbeat later, he was on his feet, running towards Lance.

It was almost too fast for his mind to recall, but his body seemed to know what it was doing. It was all action and reaction, just movement and ease like a choreographed dance. He tested the limits of his body's capabilities as he flexed around, pushed and pulled, attacking and dodging and narrowly missing a hardened hand to the shoulder. Lance liked a more forceful approach. His opponent's style by contrast, was more grace than he could ever achieve, using momentum and limb-twisting acrobatics for show, but somehow, it seemed just _right_. It was Sheik, after all. Sheik was all shadows and secrecy. It was his thing.

They hadn't realized that their little sparring gig had gone well over five minutes, and that their bodies were shaking from exertion. Five minutes wouldn't have seemed much, but they'd done quite a lot in that span of time. Some maneuvers made Lance's head spin. He hadn't known he could do any of that at all!

"Dude, let's end this already." He hissed as he felt sweat run down the contour of his eyebrow. The Sheik cosplayer was in a similar state.

"Okay."

Lance delivered a calculated kick, and Sheik managed to twist around it, land a hand on Lance's shoulder and…amazingly enough, make a handstand perfectly on that alone. The world slowed down to the moment when Sheik's bright eyes connected with Link's. It was a brilliant, excited flame that simply made his mouth dry. Time restarted again when the contact broke, and Sheik landed like a cat on the ground. It was some great irony, Lance thought, when Sheik swung his leg to trip him like he'd done to him the first few minutes of the spar. Their legs tangled together, and they fell into a heap at the floor. Sheik was on top of him, lying horizontally, so it looked like they made a cross. The hard pane of his torso and ribs dug into Lance's own.

Too tired to get back up, they stayed there and struggled for breath, even as the crowd cheered and roared with appreciation.

Something was thrown their way, and a plushie landed on Sheik's back. Lance stared at the stuffed cucco's beady black eyes before letting his head fall back on the floor with a muffled thud.

"What're they doing?" Sheik's husky voice wheezed from his side.

"They're taking pictures of the cucco that's taken out the Hero of Time and the last of the Sheikah." Link grinned as he grabbed the plush. Sheik withdrew, his cowl hanging around his neck, forgotten. Lance could see the flush stealing his face, whether it was from the fighting, the proximity of a total stranger, or a combination of both, Link wouldn't know.

"Epic skills, by the way." Lance offered him a hand. It was like restarting the scene where they bumped into each other, only without the weird self-defense freak out. "The name's Lance."

"Shane." The cosplayer offered a small smile and shook their linked hands together.

"Dude. Shane. Sheik."

The other boy lifted an eyebrow. "Lance. Link?"

"Well, isn't this a coinci—"

"Lance!" Before he could think, he was tackle-glomped by his sister. "Oh my gosh, you're amazing, I love you love you love you!"

"Zo," he hissed, "You're causing a scene." The people who lingered were now giving catcalls and wolf-whistles.

"I don't care!" She declared passionately. "I love you with every fiber of my being you're amazing I have everything on camera and that cucco was the icing on the cake."

Lance took a second to unscramble her words in his head before untangling her arms from around his neck. He shoved the plushie in her arms and tried not to scowl. "I take it this is yours?" This girl had the sense to waste money on the thing. Unbelievable.

"Yes it's mine thank you I love you you're the best!" She grinned and then turned to Shane. "By the way my name is Zoe you were amazing I'm a fan of your cosplaying please take care of Lance he can be such an idiot I'll see you later 'kay thanks bye!" She took in a huge breath and gifted Lance with a big wet kiss on his cheek before darting off to find her friends. They were waiting at the sidelines, squealing when she returned.

"Eek! ZeLink! It lives!" One of the girls from earlier shrieked and almost died of a heart attack. Beside him, Shane shuffled in discomfort and stepped back a little from Lance.

"What—dude, no! That's my SISTER!" There was a big chorus of 'Aw…', before Lance rubbed his temple and faced Shane again. The other boy looked oddly relieved. "Sorry about that. You know. Fangirls."

"Um. Yeah. What did she—your sister—she _is _your sister, right?—say, exactly?"

"…I have no idea. I think she called me an idiot. That's not so unusual. Her name's Zoe."

"Zoe." Shane stretched out the first letter. "So. Really? Zoe?" He grinned.

"Yep."

"And she's cosplaying Zelda."

"Yep."

"This is pretty weird."

"Yep."

"Can you say anything other than that?"

Lance made a show of thinking. "Uh-huh."

There was a moment of silence before both boys erupted into laughter.

"It's been one hell of a day," Lance confessed. "I'd just had my exams this morning. Then _Princess _over there," He gestured to where Zoe and her friends were watching a video camera with huge interest, "dragged me over here to wear a green dress and tights. Oh crap—have you seen my sword?"

"There, I think." Shane pointed to a bundle right beside an empty stall. Lance let out a breath in relief.

"Thanks. Anyways, sorry for bumping into you, Sheik. I was looking for an earring. Doubt I'll find it now." He sighed, slumping.

"What does it look like?" The other boy left his cowl hanging around his neck. "My name's Shane, by the way, not Sheik."

"Oh, sorry." Lance laughed sheepishly. "I can't help but just call you Sheik when you're dressed like that."

"That's okay. You can call me whatever you like, _Link_." Shane teased. "Now how about you tell me about that earring. Why **do** you need an earring?"

"It's my sister's. Uh, part of the costume. Don't ask. Anyways, it's a hoop. Silver. About _this _small."

"You mean like this?" Miracle of miracles, in the Sheikah's bandaged hands was a small hoop earring. Zoe's earring.

Lance placed his (fake) gauntleted hands on Shane's shoulders. "I am so happy, Sheik, I could kiss you right now!" He proclaimed loudly, before placing a big wet smack on the other boy's cheek. There was a collective squeal, which neither of them paid attention to; Lance was too distracted thanking the Sheikah and the Sheikah was too distracted fending off the Hylian. Lance gleefully put the earring on while Shane tried not to blush too red, muttering, "He's her brother, alright."

"Huh?"

"Oh, nothing. Wanna get something to eat?" Shane suggested, "My treat. I kinda twisted your arm when we bumped into each other."

Lance perked up at the mention of food. Ah, salvation had come in a pretty boy bound up like a mummy. Who knew? He wrapped an arm around the other's shoulders and pumped a fist into the air. Shane stiffened in surprise, the tips of his ears turning a vivid shade of red. Lance hadn't noticed, too engrossed at the thought of food.

It was turning out to be a really really _really _good day after all.

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><p><em>Ahaha I have nothing to say. Except that I hope it gained a chuckle from you at the very least.<em>


	2. Face, Meet Palm

_EDIT: After numerous comments, I've clumped the series together into one place for easier reading :D_

_Not meant to be taken seriously. Please listen to__**"Monster" by Lady Gaga**__. It is vital to the plot. Not really. But you'll get the joke, which is always fun :D_

_AU. Teenage boys being teenage boys. Will refer to them by their 'human' names. But you'll know who is who instantly, don't worry._

_Summary: In which the boys get to know each other, flirt, and get spied on. Link runs after Sheik for his number. And to get his ear back. Literally. Silliness. Sequel to Cosplay._

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><p><strong>Face, Meet Palm<strong>

o

"So, Sheik, tell me about yourself."

Lance (or Link, as he had adamantly referred to himself since stepping into the Hero of Time's costume) took a hearty bite out of his lunch and gazed inquisitively boy seated beside him. The Sheik cosplayer smeared ketchup into his hotdog thoughtfully.

"What do I say?"

"Anything."

"That's a pretty broad topic."

"Start with the basics then."

Shane swung his legs back and forth on the table of the empty stall they were in. "I'm fifteen years old, blood type A, male. I like to cosplay and play guitar. I can dance too."

"Wow, you dance _and_ play guitar? That's pretty cool. Pretty artsy stuff. Did you have your costume made, or…"

"Oh, I made it myself. We have a sewing machine at home. It's ancient, but it works." Shane looked down timidly as he said this. Lance jumped up from his seat and marveled at the costume, generous with his praise. Shane blushed even more but it couldn't be said that he didn't look proud with himself.

"You know, I think you'd get along with my sister. She made my costume." Lance swept a hand over his clothes. The white turtleneck and the riding boots were his, but the tunic and the gauntlets were made by Zoe.

"Really? Can I see?" Shane was asking even as he tugged at the other's sleeve and turning him around, checking the stitching. "It's pretty good. You almost look like him. The Hero, I mean."

"Almost?"

Shane smiled and twirled the air above his head with a finger. "You're not wearing the hat."

"Ha! No way! I'd look like a doofus. Not even the sexiest man alive could pull that off."

"Well, I'd think you could pull it off." Shane said earnestly.

Lance suddenly beamed, a sparkle in his eye. "Why, Master Sheikah, are you flirting with me?"

Shane squawked. "What? No! What made you think that? I…No!"

"I'm just teasing, man." Lance snickered, moving to give a playful punch to Shane's shoulder. Shane deflected it, so Lance pinched the other boy's cheek instead. "You're awfully cute when you're flustered, though." Shane swatted his hand away in irritation, but he didn't try to twist Lance's arm. That was good. Shane looked like a skinny pretty boy, but his grip was made of steel.

"My dear Hero of Time, I think it is _you_ who is flirting with me. And I'm not cute."

"Sure you are! You're one big cutie-patootie! Just look at your face, it's all red and stuff. D'aww…"

Shane colored even more. "I'm not cute! Don't say that!" Lance wanted to tease him even more, but Shane was squirming uncomfortably and he didn't want to push it.

"…Foine. Be that way. I was just trying to be nice." Lance stuck his nose up, imitating his sister's royally annoyed look. "Harrumph." Shane snorted into his hotdog very ungracefully. Lance grinned and couldn't take his eyes off the other teen.

"Your turn." Shane finished his sandwich and dusted his hands. "Tell me about yourself."

Lance tilted his head and thought. "Well, I'm sixteen, blood type AB and obviously male. I like video games, good food, and martial arts." He grinned suddenly. "I also like sunsets, cheesy romance novels and long walks on the beach."

Shane laughed. Lance liked the sound of it—it reminded him of quiet Christmases in front of a warm fire. "You sound just like my type, if I were a woman and this were an online dating service."

"Really now? Tell me more about…your type."

Shane raised an eyebrow. He couldn't tell if Lance was genuinely curious or just joking around. Shane was starting to attune himself to the other boy's brand of humor, though. "You know, the usual." He stated with a nonchalant wave of a hand. "Tall, dark and handsome, that sort of thing."

Lance jumped up from his seat and made a show of glancing around the area. Then he turned solemnly to Shane, posture formal. "I regret to inform the Master Sheikah that there are no tall, dark handsomes to be had. Perhaps he would settle with tall, blond and dashingly heroic?" Lance then gave what he would later dub as The Smolder™.

Shane tapped his bandaged fingers against his bottom lip and crossed his legs, hiding a smile. "Hmm…let me think. Maybe…Nah…"

"No?" Lance gave a great gasp and dramatically clutched at his chest.

"Yes."

"_Yes?_"

"Yes. I mean no. I mean," Shane laughed in amusement as Lance pretended to suffer from a heart attack. "Do get up from the floor, Hero of Time."

"Nay, I shall not! The monster in my bed ate my heart."

Shane swung to his feet and nudged Lance's side with the toe of his shoe. "You did _not_ just make a Lady Gaga reference."

Lance stuck his tongue out. "_I wanted to just dance, but you took me home instead—_"

"Good lord, don't."

"—_We French kissed on the subway train_," Lance proclaimed without shame, horribly off-key. "Y_ou tore my clothes right up. You ate my heart and then you ate my brain_."

"Face, meet palm," Shane announced loudly, and did just that, but Lance could see the smile he was trying to hide. "Come on," Shane offered a hand up. "I'm embarrassed just to be seen with you. Rise up, O Hero of Time."

"I would rather die at your feet, Master Sheikah."

"Up, I say!"

"Oh, I'm definitely _up,_if you know what I mean." Lance waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Shane's cheeks hurt from laughing already, and they felt even warmer after Lance's sordid comment.

"Fff…" Shane bit his lip and wagged a finger. "Bad Link! Bad, bad Link!"

"Woof."

The Sheik cosplayer clutched his sides and sank to his knees, right beside Lance. Of all the things Lance could have said, it couldn't be any more appropriate. Link _had_been turned into a wolf in the Twilight Princess, hadn't he? Shane found himself liking the other boy more by the minute. "Okay, I give. Stop talking. Can't breathe."

"I knew I was good, but I didn't think I was this good." Lance preened. "For the record, I now have you breathless, panting and on your knees for me."

Shane's eyes flashed. Lance wasn't expecting what happened next.

"OW!"

Shane sniffed.

"That hurt." Lance whined.

"Serves you right." Shane cleared his throat to cover his leftover snickers.

"Come on Sheik, I was just joking."

Shane refused to look at him. "Not funny."

"Aww, I'm sorry." Lance rubbed at the sore spot on his thigh where Shane hit him. "Not fair using those epic skills against me. I'm unarmed."

Shane raised an eyebrow. "So am I."

"Moot point."

A moment of uneasiness passed for Lance. Shane was staring at him blankly. _Oh, crap, I think I just killed my chance. He's gonna hate me forever! And here I thought we were getting along pretty well, oh crap, why can't I ever shut up this is bad this is really really—_

_Ahhhh talk to me don't just stare like that, it's pretty unnerving. His eyes are really pretty though—is he actually wearing guyliner?_

_No wait—why am I thinking this right now? This isn't the time to be contemplating questionable man make-up!_

"Hey, can I see your ear?" Shane suddenly asked, pointing to the fake elf ears affixed on Lance's head. Lance, caught off guard, blinked and detached the elf ear, handing it to the other teen. "Interesting…"

"Huh?"

"Did your sister make this too?"

The breath went out of Lance's lungs with a 'whoosh'. He gave a relieved grin. "Uh, yeah, she did. Got instructions from the Internet. Deviantart, I think?"

Shane gave a little smile, and his eyes were twinkling. "That's nice. Very nice." He turned the fake ear in his hands. "You know, I'm going to have to punish you—

"Kinky."

"—for that untoward comment you made." Shane's eyebrow twitched, but his eyes were still sparkling.

"Which one?" Lance asked cheekily. Shane flushed and pushed up his cowl. "Oh, that on-your-knees one? The one where I had you breathless and panting—"

Shane abruptly stood up. "If you were a gullible five-year-old, I'd say 'got your nose' but as it is, I've 'got your ear'. Literally. Come to think of it, you act like a five-year-old anyway."

"Ha ha, very funny—Sheik? Where are you going?" Lance swiftly got onto his feet. Shane poised to run. "Hey, wait! What are you doing?"

"What does it look doing?"

"But I haven't gotten your number yet!"

"Make sure you catch me, then!" Shane looked back and gave a quick wink, before maneuvering through the throng of people in front of him. Lance grinned despite himself and gave chase.

o

"You know, I'm actually finding this very romantic." Zoe squinted at the crowd and quickly spotted her brother chasing one of Deviantart's most popular Sheik cosplayer. "Don't you think so, Minnie?"

"They're acting like total idiots right now, but I can't say it's not entertaining." Zoe's best friend shrugged. "Their play-fight looked really choreographed. I didn't know Lance knew Shane."

"He doesn't. Didn't." Zoe giggled when the two started play-fighting again in the same place they'd been before. Lance had Shane in a head-lock, and the Sheik cosplayer was doing a marvelous job twisting out of the grip by tickling Lance. "They're getting along really well, though, for acquaintances of only a few hours. Oh, this is so exciting! A romance blooming before our very eyes!"

"Sounds like a cheesy romance novel."

"Doesn't it?"

"Maybe you could write it. I think you should."

Zoe's eyes gleamed. To the people in the nearby vicinity, it seemed as if Princess Zelda was possessed by a madman, what with the maniacal evil laughter and the twitching fingers. The Midna cosplayer she was with hung back and covered her smirk. She'd seen Lance shoot up and shiver, sensing danger afoot.

It's too bad of Lance, though, Minnie thought. And Shane. It's always the good-looking ones.


	3. That Awkward Moment When

Summary: Follow the boys' shenanigans at the con. Sheik's backside is quite the distraction.

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><p><strong>That Awkward Moment When<strong>

_o_

_That awkward moment when you realize you've been daydreaming about someone's backside._

_o_

"…Link?"

There was really something about that shade of blue that really complemented Shane's skin tone and hair. And the way that the cloth stretched over his toned muscles and emphasized—highlighted even, the dips and curves of his lean body…

"Hellloo…"

The best place to watch Shane would probably be from behind. He moved fluidly like a dancer, stepping lightly. There was an odd thing about him, Lance noticed a little while ago. Shane tended to walk on the balls of his feet rather than his heels. It wasn't very obvious, and he figured few people caught on, but the fact that Shane kind of tippy-toed around was a little whimsical. And pretty cute. Also, it made his hips sway in this really sexy way…

"_Link?_"

Not to mention the way his leg muscles shifted when he walked. There was something sensual about roving his eyes over the blue-covered calves, up the back of those thighs and then…

That delicious backside. Not rounded like a girl's, but defined, compact, and so…so…

"Hey! Listen! Hey!"

Tight.

Lance blinked and recalled himself. "Shut up, Navi."

Shane grinned and poked him right at his stomach. "I see _someone's_ come back to earth. Where've you been, Hero of Time?"

_Staring at your ass._"Ah…ahahaha. Sorry. I guess I'm a little more tired than I thought." Lance hedged, hoping he didn't look so flustered. He hoped Shane didn't ask, because Lance was horrible at lying.

Shane, fortunately, did not ask. In fact, he even clicked his tongue sympathetically. "Right, you had your exams today, didn't you?"

"Yeah. I stayed up last night studying." Lance rubbed the back of his neck under his turtleneck. "Zoe played Lady Gaga to keep awake, and I couldn't sleep properly with 'Monster' stuck in my head."

"I wonder what it's like to have siblings." Shane said.

"You don't have any?"

"Nope. I have an aunt, though. I'm moving in with her next week 'cause I'm starting in a new school."

"Oh. Really? Where?"

"Redmond. I heard it's a ritzy kind of school."

"No way!"

Shane's eyebrows shot up when Lance gave a beaming smile. "What."

"Dude, you're going to the same school as me!" Lance shook him by the shoulders. "This is so awesome! I could tour you and stuff, and we could hang out during break and you can watch me play soccer and we can go to the fair together and—" It would be so much easier to ask you out "I could introduce you to my friends. "

Shane smiled, the kind that showed his teeth and included his eyes. "That sounds really good. I was dreading the whole thing, what with being a freshman—fresh meat and all that."

_Oh, Shane, you don't even know half of it_, Lance thought ruefully_._"Don't worry, Sheik. Nobody's gonna grab your ass while I'm around."

Shane's eyes widened, and he turned beet red. "Uh…uh…thanks?"

Damn damn double damn. Where did _that_ come from? Lance laughed and pinched those flushing cheeks, all the while cursing his stupid mouth. "You're welcome, Sheik."

Shane recovered and cleared his throat. Then he grinned, cheeks still pink. "Guess I've been wrong all along, then."

"Huh? About what?" Lance released Shane's cheeks when the boy pulled back.

"About tall, dark and handsomes." Shane said. "I think I much prefer tall, blond and—what was it? Oh, right—_dashingly_ heroic." He raised an eyebrow.

"Hm…sounds like someone I know." Lance winked and yawned, cheesily stretching an arm to wrap it around Shane's shoulders. The Sheik cosplayer nimbly stepped around it. Lance exaggerated his crestfallen expression. Shane looked vaguely alarmed at that.

"Sorry, Hero. It's too hot for that." He offered as an explanation.

"Why, thank you."

Shane playfully hit his bicep. "Ugh, your ego. Honestly."

"What can I say? I'm hard to resist."

Shane just rolled his eyes. Lance noted with glee that he didn't deny it.

_o_

_That awkward moment when someone gropes that backside you've been daydreaming about._

_o_

It was around four-thirty in the afternoon and the con was still going strong. The mall was swarming with cosplayers who were converging with fellow anime fans. There were bucketloads of picture-taking and by the end of his friendly walk with Shane, Lance had counted at least four instances when people had asked for pictures. There was even one that made him hold a 'free hugs' sign. Shane held it too, but the difference between his picture and Lance's was that two girls had pretended to peck both of Shane's cheeks, while Lance merely had his arms around their shoulders.

The girls thanked them and giggled as they walked away. Lance heaved a quiet sigh and worked the kinks out of his jaw. Shane was doing something similar, rubbing at his cheeks. "I didn't know smiling could take out a lot on someone."

Lance laughed. "Grin and bear it? I dunno why you're complaining. Those chicks were so all over you."

Shane put up his cowl and grumbled under his breath.

"Aw, Sheik, you're all flushed again."

"Shush."

They strolled around some more and talked about anything and everything. A music store had caught Shane's eye and he ran on ahead to look at the electric guitars on display.

"Hey, Lance!" A girl from school waved to him from where she was walking with her father. Lance smiled and waved back. When they disappeared out of sight, Lance turned back to Shane and beheld with a sense of horror an advancing hand on Shane's perfect backside.

Shane surprised him yet again.

It was beautifully done. (Not the groping, of course; that was sleazy.) Shane had tensed for just a second before he spun out of the way, grabbing his opponent's wrist and using the momentum to jar his balance. The pervert yelped as his knees gave way.

The end result was Shane still on his feet, poised over his assailant and holding him in place by a sufficiently twisted arm. If the dude did anything funny, all Shane had to do was aggravate the man's joints even more.

"Dude! Are you okay?" Lance worriedly ran to the scene, frowning distastefully at the pervert.

Shane took a deep breath. Then he nodded.

Lance let out a breath and examined the painful hold Shane had on his opponent with a touch of awe. "Remind me never to get you mad."

"Hey, Fielding, let go of me, will ya?"

o

_That awkward moment when you run into your arch nemesis. He's cosplaying too._

_o_

Lance could not believe his eyes. "Dorian? Gary Dorian? The hell are you doing here?"

"…What does it look like?" Dorian huffed. "Or are you blind as well as stupid?"

Shane blinked and looked back and forth between Lance and the other guy. Who was coincidentally dressed up as Evil King Ganondorf. Huh. Will wonders never cease?

Lance scowled. "Let him go, Sheik. I don't want you catching his asshatness."

Shane let go and Dorian stood up, rubbing his wrist. "Damn, that hurt. Been teaching your sister some tricks, huh?"

"…Zoe?" Lance asked. "Where?" He looked around and couldn't see the distinct pink of his sister's Zelda dress.

Dorian looked a tad confused before paling considerably. "You mean this isn't—"

"Um, Lance, you know him?" Shane let his cowl down to murmur. He caught the look of abject horror on Dorian's face.

"Some jerk from school." Lance slung a protective arm over Shane's shoulders, if only to stop himself from punching his aggravating schoolmate. "The hell did you think you were doing, Dorian? Groping people in public—"

"Hey! **I'd** never grope a guy! That's wrong!"

"Then why'd you—shit. You thought he was Zoe, didn't you!"

Dorian started sweating. He turned his attention to Shane and sneered. "And I suppose this is your new boyfriend, Fielding? Which street did you find _this_one?"

Lance couldn't help himself from giving Dorian a fist to the face. "Asshole." He growled, before grabbing Shane's wrist and leading them away.

_o_

_That moment when you realize you've fallen deep. Way deep._

_o_

"I'm really sorry, Sheik. I should've been watching your back." Lance later mumbled when he had sufficiently calmed down fifteen minutes later. They were sitting on the rim of the huge fountain at the center of the mall, sharing soda.

Shane thoughtfully took a sip and managed a smile. "You mean you should've been watching my backside?"

A tentative grin broke out of Lance's grim features. "Yeah, that too. I promised you that much, didn't I?"

"You couldn't have helped it. He was a pervert. Who thought I was your sister." Shane pursed his lips. "Come to think of it, ew. Ew. _Ew._"

Lance laughed at Shane's deep grimace. "Wait, I shouldn't be laughing. That's gross. Ew." He reiterated.

"Ugh, I hate it when people mistake me for a girl, though. I know I'm not as…" Shane glanced at Lance, "buff as some guys are, but I've got a penis too. And feelings! Doesn't anyone care about my _feelings_?" He was practically flailing.

"Well, Sheik, I guess it just goes with the character. Don't you know that there's a war going on about your gender identity and all that?" Lance said diplomatically, stifling his snickers.

"I guess…but. Still. I thought you could tell from my costume." Shane frowned at the blue fabric stretched over his thighs.

"It's because of this," Lance lifted the flap of the loose white cloth with the weeping eye over Shane's chest. "They can't check for boobs. And you hide your face with the cowl so they can't tell. Not to mention it's pretty hard to tell from the back. Do I have to point out you're cosplaying _Princess Zelda's_alter-ego?"

Shane sighed and grabbed the can of soda from Lance and downed a huge gulp. "Okay. That sounds logical."

"Right?" Lance gave a dopey little grin at this. "You're cute when you're all huffy."

Shane lifted an eyebrow. "And you say the randomest things. But hey, thanks for defending my honor and all that. That was…pretty nice."

"What can I say? I'm the Hero of Time and all that jazz. I'm wired for chivalry."

"Hm, and I thought chivalry was dead." Shane teased. "It's nice to know I've got tall, blond and heroic on my side."

Lance smiled warmly, eyes surprisingly soft. "Don't you forget it."

_o_

LATER

_That awkward moment when n00bs mistake you for a girl._

_o_

"Zelda!"

"I AM NOT ZELDA YOU STUPID CHILD!"

"Pffftt…"

"SHEIK STOP LAUGHING IT'S NOT FUNNY."

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry for my brother. He doesn't know any better, honestly."

"But sis!"

"Shh. His name is Link, not Zelda. Zelda's the name of the princess."

"Oh. But that one's Zelda right? She's in disguise 'cause of Ganon."

"Erm…well. Please don't mind my brother. I'm so sorry. We're leaving now."

"…"

"…"

"Heh."

"Link, don't laugh. This is so not cool."

"Can't help it. You just realize that we've both been accused of being Zelda, right?"

"…Nothing else I can say."

"_Eh, eh."_


End file.
